Science · Earth & Space Science
Our Local Star — The Sun
Reading comprehension passage and printable worksheet about the sun — its structure, energy, and how it powers life on Earth and drives our solar system — for grades 4–7.
Subject
Science
Grade Level
Grades 3–8
Resource Type
Lesson Plan
Format
Lesson + PDF
Reading Passage
Our Local Star — The Sun
The sun is the star at the center of our solar system. It is a giant ball of hot, glowing gas — mostly hydrogen and helium — held together by its own gravity. The sun is about 1.4 million kilometers in diameter, which means it is about 109 times wider than Earth. Despite appearing small in the sky, the sun is enormous: it contains 99.8 percent of all the mass in the solar system.
The sun produces energy through a process called nuclear fusion. In the core of the sun, temperatures reach about 15 million degrees Celsius — hot enough to force hydrogen atoms together to form helium. This fusion reaction releases tremendous amounts of energy in the form of light and heat. Every second, the sun converts about 600 million tons of hydrogen into helium, releasing energy equal to billions of nuclear bombs.
The energy produced in the sun’s core takes thousands of years to travel to the surface. From the surface, called the photosphere, energy travels through space as light and radiation. It takes about 8 minutes and 20 seconds for sunlight to travel the 150 million kilometers from the sun to Earth. This sunlight powers nearly all life on Earth — plants use it for photosynthesis, which forms the base of almost every food chain.
The sun has a layered structure. The core is where fusion takes place. Around the core is the radiative zone, where energy slowly moves outward. The convective zone is next — here, hot gases rise and cooler gases sink, carrying energy toward the surface. The photosphere is the visible surface. Above it is the chromosphere and then the corona — the sun’s outer atmosphere — which extends millions of kilometers into space.
The sun drives Earth’s weather and climate by heating the atmosphere and oceans. It also affects Earth through solar wind — a stream of charged particles that flows outward from the sun. Solar wind interacts with Earth’s magnetic field, creating the beautiful auroras seen near the poles. The sun will continue to shine for about another 5 billion years before eventually expanding into a red giant and then collapsing into a white dwarf.
Printable Worksheet
Printable PDF · 4 pages
Our Local Star — The Sun Reading Comprehension Worksheet
Printable worksheet includes the reading passage and comprehension questions about the sun’s structure, nuclear fusion, and its role in powering life and weather on Earth. Includes answer key.
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